The Mangalorean-Manipalites or the Mango-Manipalites as I would like to call them, no doubt carry the mandate of The Manipal lifestyle-a multicultural blend with 100%life and 100% style in it, however in reality, just as the soldiers on the frontier have a life different from the ones living in the cantonments, so it is with us. But why Mango-Manipalite? Just like the sweet ripe fruits, we are Manipalites living away from Manipal just as the fruits hung away from the main trunk of the tree.
In all the things that we crave for, the ambience of a full-fledged campus is what is most sourly missed here – a huge campus with everyone young and like-minded in it, where long walks with the opposite sex do not turn awkward, sitting on a bench does not invite unnecessary glares and of course, you are not the only one awake at night. Mangalore, it has been realized, sleeps too early and it is an ordeal to even find tea and biscuits after 11 PM. The wildness and carefree attitude that is fostered the campus huge compound wall is somehow unable to find much room. To add to it, broken in bits and chunks as our college is, commutation presents as a major setback to the ‘catching up’ part between postings and classes.
Life in Mangalore, as I have described it till now may seem dull to you, but it is not actually so. The fruits only and not the leaves that are blessed with vibrant colors and sweet taste. The Mango Manipalites are blessed with two multiplexes within walking distances from the hostels, something about which our counterparts in Manipal, very often ‘rustle’ in sulk about. Not to mention, all the opportunities and ‘exposures’ that only a full-fledged city can offer iced on top with an enhanced freedom of movement. But yes, it all comes with a lot of constraints. A civil society is a lot different from a dark ‘Collegey’ lair you see.
In the end, all I can say is, “Life may be harsh, but I think it is worth living it”.
I always dreamt of living in a huge campus, with its ‘silence’ and the ‘inspirations’ it breeds but alas! the pettiest of my wishes are not answered in the simplest of ways. I hope at least yours did! 🙂
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Hasta la Vista!!
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